


Hands up, feel okay.

by Opal_Lakes



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Apocalypse didn't happen everyone is chill, Ben is there being both supportive and disappointed, Bittersweet, Bonding as they break into a VFW, Brotherly Bonding, Dave is big dead, Klaus fought in Vietnam and deserves respect, Klaus is a sad and lonely gay, M/M, My gf beta read this because I can't read, No Incest, Oneshot, Some good bonding between Ben and Klaus thats all it is, Title inspired by Two Time by Jack Stauber, no one would believe him tho and that made me sad so i wrote this, pls god no incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2020-01-04 06:46:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18338315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Opal_Lakes/pseuds/Opal_Lakes
Summary: “You know that veterans bar?”“The one you broke down in?”Klaus shrugged one of his shoulders, flapping his hand over his shoulder dismissively “Well there’s something I need in there and you’re gonna help me get it.”“Jesus Klaus” Ben pulled a face “I’m not stealing from vets.”“We’re stealing from vets so your vet brother can have a picture of his dead vet boyfriend.”Ben grimaced “Ugh, don’t pull that card.”Or; Klaus is a sad and lonely gay and just wants to have a nice photo of his dead boyfriend, and somehow convinces Ben to commit a crime.





	Hands up, feel okay.

It took almost two weeks before Klaus remembered that old photograph of him and Dave back at the VFW, jolting up in bed with a sudden gasp, his half knitted scarf falling into his lap as he turned to Ben, frantic and bouncing on his bed with a shout of “Ben!”

 

Ben, sighing from behind his book before putting it down eyed his brother suspiciously as Klaus leapt off his bed, pushing away the wool and needles and stumbling over his own two feet, reaching out for his boots “What’s up?”

 

“I need you to come with me right now!”

 

Ben spared a glance at the clock with a disapproving frown “At 4 in the morning?”

 

“Yep,” As he finished up lacing up his last boots, Klaus snatched up his favourite coat “Come on I can’t do this without you.”

 

“I already regret this” Ben sighed, dog-earring his page before standing up, trailing behind Klaus as he sneaked down the hallway, hands in his pockets and wondering what the hell he was getting himself into; he wasn’t going to leave Klaus to go out and get himself into trouble, but he could still be annoyed about being dragged around for whatever scheme Klaus had in mind.

 

Outside was chilly, the sky starless and the streets emptied of life and the dead, but Klaus didn’t seem to notice, stalking down the streets as if he wasn’t out in the dead of night, whistling loudly to himself with a bounce in his step.

 

They strolled down four blocks before Ben finally broke with a huff “Where are we going?”

 

“You know that veteran’s bar?”

 

“The one you broke down in?”

 

Klaus shrugged one of his shoulders, flapping his hand over his shoulder dismissively “Well there’s something I need in there and you’re gonna help me get it.”

 

“Jesus Klaus” Ben pulled a face “I’m not stealing from vets.”

 

“ _We’re_ stealing from vets so your vet brother can have a picture of his dead vet boyfriend.”

 

Ben grimaced “Ugh, don’t pull that card.”

 

Klaus spun around on his heel, trotting backwards with his head held high “I never get to pull that card! I fought for this country and this is the respect I get?”

 

Klaus scoffed loud, turning back and picking up his pace, the VFW appearing further down the street, a dark silent looming building that sat dead ahead. Klaus skipped a step forward, a grin on his face as his half-walked half-ran towards the building, unable to contain his excitement, Ben running after him.

 

Klaus took in their surroundings, satisfied seeing no one was around to watch the crime they were about to commit. He shuffled towards the front door, testing the handle briefly before turning back to Ben, sulking off a few feet behind him “Time to do your thing ghost boy.”

 

Ben rolled his eyes but said nothing as he passed through the door, disappearing through the wood in a blink of an eye. Klaus beamed in glee before dancing around the building, disappearing around the corner and into an alleyway. It stunk of piss and old garbage, but Klaus didn’t care, far too excited as he bounced over to the nearest window, knuckle’s tapping against the glass loudly.

 

Ben’s face appeared a second later, his usual scowl on his face as Klaus gestured towards the window’s latch, flashing him a thumbs up before shuffling back. His fists curled tightly in front of his chest, waiting for that all too strange chill that filled his bones as Ben became corporeal, a feeling Klaus doubted he’d ever get used it.

 

It took only a moment for Ben to start messing around with the window, the lock clicking loudly before pushing the window open. Klaus’ hands dropped back to his side, finding himself out of breath and shaking from the terrible chill that had overtaken him as he climbed into the bar, tripping over the ledge and falling flat on his face, much to Ben’s amusement.

 

“Respect your elders” Klaus sneered, flipping Ben off as he chuckled away.

 

Klaus leapt to his feet, brushing himself off before squinting around the room, glaring at the darkness “Should have brought a flashlight or something.”

 

He stumbled around the bar, bumping into tables and chairs before he found his way, hands planting against a wall and, after a second of fumbling around, felt the familiar shape of a photo frame. Klaus grinned “Bingo.”

 

He stared hard at the photos in front of him, struggling to make out any faces through the pitch black, huffing in frustration and let out a whine “ _Ben!_ ”

 

“Jesus” Ben scoffed, gliding off further into the room, the familiar tugging on his hands as Ben become somewhat corporeal. It took a while, the pair silent and waiting before Ben flickered on the small overhanging light of one of the pool tables, the dull green light cutting through the dark without any fear of someone noticing from outside.

 

Klaus beamed, hands clapping together in front of him in a silent thank you before turning back to the photos, eyes darting past faces before he let out a shout of delight, waving Ben over to his side. Ben appeared next to him, lingering over his shoulder as he stared at the photo, and sure enough, there was Klaus.

 

“I know you told me you went to Vietnam, I knew you disappeared with that briefcase but” He paused, glancing at his brother who was too busy staring at the photo with a goofy smile on his face “It’s weird seeing actual evidence.”

 

“What? You didn’t believe me?” Klaus’ head snapped back at him, mouth twisting into an almost pout.

 

Ben shrugged weakly, ignoring the pang of hurt in Klaus’ voice to correct himself “No, I believed you, it’s just that….Jesus Klaus, you fought in _Vietnam_.”

 

Klaus blinked at him owlishly, before turning back to the photo with a tilt of his head, a gentle smile on his face as he stared lovingly at the photograph “ _Yeah_.”

 

They linger for a moment, Klaus enjoying staring at the face of his boyfriend with Ben hovering behind him, letting him have that moment before speaking back up “We should go before someone calls the cops.”

 

“Smart” Klaus nodded, reaching out to carefully lift up the photo, holding it against his chest tightly, not wanting to let it slip as he danced his way back to the window, a bounce in his step. Ben watched him go, knowing to steal from a Vet’s bar was certainly a shitty thing to do but seeing his Brother, who had spent the last week sulking and alone in his room and “Oh so terribly sober”, happy and lively again, was nice and not something ever thought he would get to see again.

 

Klaus hovered by the window, bowing slightly at Ben as he followed him with a chirpy “After you”. Ben slipped out easily, hopping into the dirty alleyway and glancing towards the road, grateful to find the streets still bare of any potential witness.

 

Ben turned to look back through the window, finding Klaus staring at the bar’s collection of liquor with a strange look in his eye, twitchy fingers tapping softly against the picture frame.

 

 “ _Klaus_.”

 

Klaus jumped, tensing as he spun around to stare down at Ben before gasping, looking offended as he cradled the photo to his chest “I would never, I wouldn’t do that to dear sweet Dave.”

 

Ben eyed him closely, watching his brother hutch over and drop out of the window with a startled yelp, barely righting himself before he hit the ground. He quickly shut the window before trotting out of the alleyway, peaking around the corner for anyone before making his way back home, a wide grin on his face as he swayed along happily. Ben walked by his side, arms crossed over his chest loosely as he watched his brother from the corner of his eye, smiling fondly at Klaus’ as he chattered away, babbling nonsense as carefree as ever.

 

Small drops of rain began to fall as they reached the Academy, Klaus leaping up the stairs two at a time to avoid the wet. He threw himself against the door, ducking into the house and holding the door open for Ben, who glided in without fuss.

 

“Gotta find a good place for this, somewhere nearby so I can always see his face, do we have any nails?” Klaus chattered away as if it wasn’t almost 5 in the morning and they hadn’t just broken into, and stole, from a Vet’s bar.

 

“Maybe wait til morning before you start banging a hammer on your walls” Ben suggested, the voice of logic and Klaus paused, looking down at the photo with a thoughtful look.

 

“Yeah, don’t need to give Luther another reason to try and kill me.”

 

Ben faltered “Wait-what?”

 

With a dismissive wave of his hand, Klaus ran up the stairs with seemingly not caring of how loud he was, excited to go back to his room and stare at the photo of his boyfriend. Ben cringed at his heavy footsteps, watching him go before sighing loudly, tucking his hands into his jacket, and jumped back into Klaus’ room.

 

He settled back into his armchair, picking up his book and resuming where he was left off, only making it two sentences before Klaus burst into his room, not sparing Ben even a glance as he threw himself onto his bed. He twisted in his bed until he laid on his side, back to Ben and leaning the photo against the wall. He sighed loudly.

 

“I miss him” Ben looked up from his book, eyeing his brother’s back as he curled into a ball. He smiled sadly.

 

“You’ll find him soon” Ben reassured, and Klaus gave a weak twitch of his shoulder.

 

“I hope” He mumbled into his pillow, eyes never leaving Dave’s face “I’m starting to forget what he sounds like.”

 

The book in Ben’s hands dropped into his lap, something deep and sad settling into the endless pit of his stomach.

 

“You’ll find him” he repeated firmly.

 

Klaus didn’t respond, silent and unmoving and Ben could do nothing as he turned back to his book. By the time the sun was up and Luther was lumbering loudly past them by to begin his morning routine, Klaus was softly snoring away in his bed. His usual twitchy night terrors seemingly taking a break that night, leaving Klaus to sleep dreamlessly, with Ben watching over him from the corner of the room.

**Author's Note:**

> I saw someone post on tumblr(?) about how no one will probably believe Klaus fighting in Vietnam, and is a bad hurt right there, so I wrote this to make myself feel better. I might write another shot of the rest of his family finding out the truth, but I'm pretty lazy so that's a big if sdfghjk
> 
> Big smooch for my gf for beta reading this, I would have made some pretty silly mistakes without her :*
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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